Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism – General Information

The term Hyperthyroidism refers to a clinical condition in which the patient presents an overactive thyroid gland. In such medical cases, the individual’s thyroid produces an excessive amount of hormones. This can lead to another clinical condition known as Thyrotoxicosis. Studies have shown that the hormones that are produced by the thyroid are supposed to stimulate the cellular metabolism. The gland that produces these hormones (the thyroid gland) can be found below the individual’s Adam’s apple. This organ tends to wrap around the individual’s trachea (windpipe). It is a butterfly – shaped organ, that is composed of two parts (lobes, wings) that connect to each other through the gland’s isthmus. This gland is supposed to remove the iodine from the organism’s blood. The iodine that is ingested by a patient (if he or she consumes salt, bread or seafood) easily reaches the individual’s blood. The thyroid needs a certain amount of iodine to produce its hormones (among which triiodothyronine and thyroxine are known to play the most important part). The thyroid is known to be under the direct control of another gland (the pituitary), that is in fact regulated by the individual’s hypothalamus and by one of the thyroid’s hormones. Studies have determined some factors that are known to make an individual develop Hyperthyroidism. Among them, the most popular are known to include: excessive amounts of iodine that are ingested in the daily diet, inflammation of the individual’s thyroid gland (a medical condition also known as Thyroiditis), unusual TSH secretion, excessive intake of hormones (especially those secreted by the thyroid), Toxic Multinodular Goiter (TMNG), Functioning adenoma, Graves’ Disease, and so on.

Hyperthyroidism – Symptoms

Like most other medical conditions, this particular disorder is known to trigger a set of symptoms and signs that enable the physician establish a proper diagnosis. However, most individuals who are suffering from a mild form of this clinical condition do not usually report any abnormal reactions. Studies have shown that elderly patients (especially individuals aged over 70 years) are known to be less prone to experiencing the most severe symptoms of this medical condition (in most cases they do not present any symptoms at all). Tests show that the severity of this disease’s signs tends to increase in time, as the disorder evolves. If a patient develops Hyperthyroidism, he or she will probably start complaining of signs such as the following: scant and / or irregular menstrual flow, a decreased ability to concentrate properly, fatigue, abnormal weight loss (that is due to an increased cellular metabolism), rapid pulse (heart rate), abnormal agitation, unusual tremor, nervousness, increased movements of the bowel, an abnormal intolerance to heat, excessive sweating, and so on. These symptoms are directly linked to the increased metabolic rate of the organism.
If an elderly patient does develop the signs and / or symptoms of this medical condition (Hyperthyroidism), he or she will probably experience heart complications, as such individuals are more prone to suffering from heart failure. The most severe form of this disorder (the latest stage of this condition) can trigger a “thyroid storm”. This severe complication is known to trigger heart failure, fever, abnormally high blood pressure levels, delirium, confusion and other similar mental changes.

Hyperthyroidism – Treatment

If you realize that you experience any of the symptoms and / or signs that we have listed in the previous chapter, or if for any other reason you suspect that you might be suffering from this thyroid medical condition you should immediately call your personal health care provider and schedule an emergency clinical check up. During the check up, your physician will want to know more about the symptoms that you are experiencing, about your personal and family medical history, and so on. In order to confirm the diagnosis (in order to establish without any further doubt that you are indeed suffering from Hyperthyroidism), your personal health care provider might ask you to perform a blood test, as patients with this medical condition present abnormally high blood levels of  thyroid hormones).Although a clinical blood exam is able to accurately determine whether you have Hyperthyroidism or not, it will not tell the exact cause of this thyroid imbalance. This is why you will probably have to undergo further medical tests, as an appropriate therapy option for Hyperthyroidism, apart from easing the individual’s symptoms and correcting the hormonal imbalance, also aims to treat the underlying cause of this medical condition. The most commonly performed tests include thyroid scans, antibody screening, and so on. However, all patients must be aware of the fact that these clinical tests are chosen by the individual’s personal doctor who takes into consideration a variety of factors, as they depend from one clinical case to another. In order to ease your symptoms (the ones that we have listed in the previous chapter), your physician might prescribe you a list of drugs. The most commonly prescribed type of medical product is the beta-blocker (Lopressor, Tenormin, Inderal, and so on); as such medical products are able to effectively compensate the effects of the thyroid hormones without altering the individual’s blood concentration of hormones. However, the prescription of these medicines depends on the patient’s age, medical history, sex, and general health condition.

Patients who are suffering from Hyperthyroidism might also be prescribed Antithyroid medicines. The most popular drugs that belong to this group are Propylthiouracil and Methimazole, as they are able to accurately block the gland’s hormone production (they accumulate in the tissue of the organ). However, a therapy with such medical products can be risky, as some patients with Hyperthyroidism who had followed a therapy with similar drugs experienced a suppression of the bone marrow’s white blood cell production. This is why only patients who present Graves’ disease are prescribed a long term therapy with these medications. Another therapy option for sufferers of Hyperthyroidism includes the intake of radioactive iodine. This substance ought to be administered orally (wither in its liquid or in its pill form). This therapy option is mostly employed in the case of patients who present a recurrent Graves’ disease. Individuals who present the eye related form of the Graves’ medical condition ought to employ extra care during their therapy with radioactive iodine, as their medical condition might worsen at the end of their treatment.